What is the most rewarding part of being a mom?

Making my baby smile and knowing that she’s as happy and healthy as she can be. Knowing my baby is safe and knows she’s safe in my arms. Also comforting her or meeting her needs when she cries to soothe her. Double bonus if I can make her go from crying to laughing! Knowing it will always be my little girl and I and that I am actively raising her to be the best young lady she can be! The next thing is watching her hit milestones. I never knew what it was to be a proud momma and now I do.

What is one memory of your kids that you will never forget?

A moment I will always remember is holding my baby for the first time after thinking I would never get through labor and delivery because the pain was too great. As soon as they handed her to me she stopped crying as if she knew who I was. And that’s when I realized, she does. That is when my husband noticed our baby’s extra thumb as I was still in physical shock from labor. I sat there holding and kissing her thumb, just noticing all the small details about her tiny body that made her unique.

What would you do with $20,000?

The orthopedic hand surgeon in the nicu told us that we would have to remove her extra thumb when she’s around 6-12 months old, due to the fact of it being nonfunctional as well as being stuck bent at an angle. The process will take multiple surgeries possibly going all the way up her forearm and tons of reconstruction as well as occupational and physical therapy. We would most definitely use that money to pay for her nicu bill / hand surgeries so that we are able to live a nice full life.